A new addition to the collection - 1924 £1 Roo with Type 'C' Specimen Overprint

A new addition to the collection. A 1924 £1 Roo with the Type 'C' Specimen Overprint.

This is SG75s or ACSC 53XB, printed by Harrison and perforations measure 12.

A lovely stamp that's in Mint Condition with an ever so light hinge mark at the rear that is typical of these earlier Australian stamps.

Heavy posting and thoughtful franking

Just to prove that it isn't hard to come up with thoughtful commercial franking when posting heavy parcels.

Here is a block of four of the recently issued Ten Dollar Kangaroo and Map stamp, issued as part of the Australia 2013 International Stamp Show.

The heavy parcel presented a great opportunity to use these in a block of four as the price for the postage came in at a touch just under forty dollars.

Nicely centered, clean postmark and sent to the recipient as "full gum" - but most definitely not CTO (Cancelled To Order) as this has seen genuine postal use carrying its heavy contents from Western Australia to Queensland.

So next time you have to send a heavy parcel, please say no to the counter printed labels and ask kindly for real stamps. Who knows, maybe we will see more commercial uses of stamps like this beauty !

Some modern covers arrived this week

Here is a selection of covers that I have received in the mail this last week - all of them utilising recent issue sheet stamps.

First up is the Coronation Issue - a large format stamp with a very attractive design. In addition to the 60c letter rate stamp, a $2.60 International rate stamp was also issued along with a miniature sheet and special sheetlet of 10 stamps.

Commemorating the first banknote - released at the Australia 2013 Stamp Exhibition - another use of the large format, this time in the upright, vertical position. There was also a $2.60 International rate stamp issued and a miniature sheet. 

Australia - Israel Joint Issue Stamp - there was also a $2.60 International rate stamp issued.

The 60c letter rate stamp from the Pardalotes Stamp Issue. Issued in a set of four, the other values are $1.20, $1.80 and $3.00

And lastly, one of my favorite issues this year so far is the Fishes of Christmas Island. Also in this series is another 60c letter rate stamp along with the $1.20 and $1.80 values. 

It's nice to see current day commemorative stamps being used and especially sheet stamps as opposed to peel & stick.

Large hoard of parcel franking this month!

Australian Open Sheetlet

Here is a collection of scans from a single, large parcel that I received in the mail this month from Sydney to Perth.

Some very seldom seen franking here. 

Australian Open Sheetlet

                  

Olivia Newton John Cancer & Wellness Centre Appeal Sheet

Presidents Cup Sheet

Lest We Forget Sheetlet

Flower Show and Festival Sheetlet

Premier's Flood Relief Appeal Sheetlet

Premiers Flood Relief Appeal Sheetlet

Penang Registered Cover to Madras

Here is a lovely cover that I received recently from a fellow member on StampBoards. Its a registered cover posted from Penang to Madras (now Chennai) South India.

The franking is all on the rear of the cover, with the eight Straits Settlements stamps totaling 28 cents paying the postage and fees.

One truly interesting and lovely cover.

Indian Covers

I received these two covers from India in the latest monthly Cover Exchange on StampBoards. 

On the first cover, the minisheet depicts Horses of India whilst the single stamp commemorates the Goa Liberation Golden Jubilee.

On the second cover, the block of four stamps depict images of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official home of the President of India.

The single stamp is of the Isabella Thoburn College in Lucknow, India.

Thank you to my exchange partner for these. 

A Post Card from Canada

A Post Card from Canada arrived this week as part of the Post Card Exchange on StampBoards.

The concept of the Post Card Exchange is the same as that of the Cover Exchange.

The image on the post card is from the Tulip Festival in Ottawa and as the message reads it certainly is very colorful !

The stamp is the recent Year of the Snake stamp paying the correct rate for a Post Card from Canada to Australia.

Thanks goes to my Post Card Exchange partner for the month.

If you would like more information about the Post Card Exchange or the Cover Exchange please visit StampBoards.

It's not hard to use real stamps !

It's not hard to use real stamps! Here is a parcel I received this week from South Australia. The person who sent this to me is a regular sender, but was not near his normal Post Office.

Still he made the effort to use real stamps on his parcel to me, complete with lovely hand cancels from Brighton Post Office South Australia.

It isn't that difficult and if we all made the effort our parcels and letters would look far more attractive and possibly even foster more collectors into the future.

Year of the Snake (Annee Du Serpent)

Year of the Snake (Annee Du Serpent) - I received this in the mail this week from a Canadian member of StampBoards.

Lovely strip of five stamps celebrating the Year of the Snake, tied to the cover with a very decorative postmark from Winona, Ontario "Home of the Peach Festival".

Trio of covers from the United Kingdom

This trio of covers from the United Kingdom came to me through the September Cover Exchange on StampBoards.

This first one is from the London 2012 Olympic Games with the Bradley Wiggins gold medal stamp. 

This second cover commemorates the London 2012 Paralympic Games and utilises the entire mini-sheet.

This third cover uses the commemorative mini-sheet to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee.

Thanks to my exchange partner for sending these covers across. 

December 12 Christmas Cover from the United Kingdom

The unique date of 12 December 2012 has no doubt inspired a flurry of philatelic activity amongst collectors.

This cover was received this month, a little creased and minor tear, but the stamp and postmark intact and clearly visible.

Thank you to BarbadosStamps for this cover!

Cover from the United Arab Emirates

Another recent arrival from the Monthly Cover Exchange on StampBoards was this from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This is the first ever item of mail I have ever received from the UAE and I am impressed by the quality of stamps and the subject matter portrayed.

Thank-you to my exchange partner for this lovely addition to my collection.

Amusing Cancel

Was sorting through some Kiloware recently and came across this gem.

Not only was I excited by the fact that I did not have this stamp and it would fill a gap in my fine used Australian collection, but had to laugh at the placement of the cancel.

Cancelled on 22 July - the superb placement of the cancel closely resembles a mustache and goatee.

I must admit, it did make me laugh just a little !

The stamp is SG2041B $0.45c Australian Crew (Women's 470 Dinghy Sailing) (3 Oct). 

Canadian Covers

Just to prove that I don't only admire or collect Australian Stamps, here are a few Canadian covers that I have received via the Monthly Cover Exchange on StampBoards -

First up is a cover with the recent Canadian Christmas gingerbread Mini-Sheet.

Second a cover with stamps the celebrate 250 years of; The Black Watch, Royal Regiment & Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.

The third cover utilises stamps featuring Tommy Douglas and commemorate the birth of medicare - Universal Healthcare.

All three covers are postmarked 12 December 2012.

Many thanks to my December Cover Exchange Partner for this lovely trio!

To find out more about the Monthly Cover Exchange visit StampBoards.

Large Parcel Piece from Australia to New Zealand

Back in October I completed a trade with a fellow member on StampBoards. As part of the deal, he agreed to send back the parcel franking that I used to send his items over. The package was fairly heavy and the total postage was $27.95 - I have decided to keep the Parcel Piece intact as it is a very attractive piece of modern usage utilising International Postage Stamps, including six if the recently issued $4.50 Cradle Mountain stamps and pays the correct rate postage from Australia to New Zealand.

Another Twelve-Twelve-Twelve Postmarked item

Here we have a lovely example of some parcel franking. This was sent to me from Sydney (to Perth) attached to a large parcel last week. Its the full sheetlet of $2 stamps, $20 face in total. Many will no doubt recognise the "Castlecrag" postmark and quickly work out who sent me that package!

Modern "High-Value" Parcel Franking at its finest !